Penstemon plant named ‘Cha Cha Lavender’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Penstemon  plant characterized by medium size lavender purple flowers in dense clusters, long bloom time, a compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown from the base, clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Penstemon hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Cha Cha Lavender’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon, given the name, ‘Cha Cha Lavender’. Penstemon is in the family Scrophulariaceae. This plant originated in a controlled breeding plan to create a compact, upright, medium size, multiflowered series. The exact parents are unknown, unnamed proprietary plants. This cultivar was selected for its compact growing habit, medium size flowers in dense clusters, long flowering time, vigor, and clean attractive look. It is an ideal plant for a sunny border in full sun.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Blueberry Taffy’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,568, the new cultivar has smaller more numerous flowers and a white eye with bee tracks versus no eye.

Penstemon ‘Cha Cha Lavender’ is uniquely distinguished by its:

-   -   1. medium size lavender purple flowers in dense clusters,     -   2. long bloom time,     -   3. compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown         from the base,     -   4. clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and     -   5. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and micropropagation using terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a close up of 9 month old plants of the new cultivar in the trial field in full bloom in mid July in Canby, Oreg. FIG. 1 shows an accurate color representation of the plant.

FIG. 2 shows the habit of the new cultivar on the same plants in the trial bed. The photo was taken early morning and is not an accurate color representation.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Penstemon cultivar based on observations of 10 month-old specimens grown outside in one gallon containers in full sun in Canby, Oreg. in October. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Form.—Upright, branching.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 7-10.         -   Size.—Grows to 40 cm wide and 68 cm high.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Stem number.—About 12 main stems from the crown.         -   Stem strength.—Strong.         -   Stem.—Upright, grows to 49 cm long and 4 mm wide (at the             base), glabrous at base to glandular pubescent toward             peduncle, internodes grow to 3.5 cm long, Yellow Green 146C             where shaded and tinted Red Purple 59B where in sun.         -   Roots and rooting.—Fibrous root system, White 155C, roots             easily from stem cuttings in 10 to 14 days. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate, main vein on top and bottom side Yellow             Green 146C.         -   Margins.—Serrulate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Petiole.—None, sessile.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 9 cm long and 1.3 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.         -   Leaf color.—Topside Green 137A, bottom side closest to             Yellow Green 146A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Terminal, many flowered, dense thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—About 30.         -   Size of inflorescence.—Grows to 18 cm long and 8 cm wide.         -   Peduncle.—Strong, upright, grows to 6 cm long and 2.5 mm             wide, pubescent, Yellow Green 146C where shaded and tinted             Red Purple 59B where in sun.         -   Pedicel.—Medium strength, grows semi-upright to 6 mm long             and 1 mm wide, pubescent, Yellow Green 146C in shade and             lightly tinted Red Purple 59B where in sun.         -   Bloom period.—Mid June to frost in October in Canby, Oreg.             if spent flowers are removed. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—2.5 cm long and 10 mm wide.         -   Description.—Closed tubular, bulging, flattened ventrically,             pubescent.         -   Color.—Purple N79C with tip N79A and bottom side blending to             White NN155B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic, perfect.         -   Shape.—Tubular, bilabiate.         -   Size.—Grows to 3.3 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.         -   Corolla description.—Grows to 3 cm long and 2.5 cm wide;             tube is bulbous in the calyx for 3 mm long and 5 mm wide,             narrowing then widening for 20 mm and flaring to 25 mm wide,             5 lobes, the two smaller top lobes flare back (each 6 mm             wide and to 10 mm deep) and two larger lateral lobes flare             out (10 mm wide and 10 mm deep), and the lower lobe flares             down (10 mm wide and 13 mm deep), lobe margins slightly             jagged, tips acute; outside glandular pubescent, inside             sparsely pubescent; outside color Violet 83B blending to             White NN155B on bottom side, inside color lobes Violet 83C             with 83B on edges to eye, White NN155B, with bee tracks             Purple N79B.         -   Calyx description.—9 mm deep and 6 mm wide, 5 overlapping             lobes cut to the base, each lobe broadly ovate in shape, 7             mm deep and 5 mm wide, margins variable (entire, notched and             frilled), tip acuminate, base cuneate, outside Yellow Green             146C in shade and lightly tinted Red Purple 59B where in             sun, inside Yellow Green 146C, glabrous inside and glandular             pubescent outside.         -   Pistil description.—1, 32 mm long, ovary 5 mm long and 2.5             mm wide, Yellow Green 146D; style 27 mm long and less than 1             mm wide, stigma shape conical, stigma and style White             NN155C.         -   Stamen description.—5, one sterile without an anther, held             within the corolla 22 mm long, filaments 20 to 24 mm long             and White NN155C, anthers oval, 2 mm long, Greyed Purple             N187A, pollen amount moderate, White NN155C.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—A flower lasts 5 to 6 days. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Capsule.         -   Fertility.—Good.         -   Size.—7 mm deep and 1 mm wide.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Brown N199C. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Irregular.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Brown 200A. -   Pests and diseases: The new cultivar is typical to the genus. No     problems have been found in Canby, Oreg. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant substantially as shown and described. 